RogerRamjet

Highest: 16,500 AGL Lowest: 2000 AGL What is the current minimum pack opening altitude for experienced jumpers? When I was jumping (1973-1980), it was 2000ft AGL. I see a lot of posts in this thread with lower AGL than that... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

First jump at 20 on July 1st, 1973 (the day the legal age in Florida dropped from 21 to 18) at Z-Hills. My parents said "no way!" So I hung around the drop zone for 6 months, got my riggers license and generally learned as much as I could until Florida stepped in and changed the law for me :) I packed T-10s and did rig and canopy repair to pay for my new habit. I literally lived in the loft for almost two years working for the owner/master rigger Jeff Searles. I jumped at Z-Hills (A commercial center at the time) for the first two years and would have to say the average age then was low to mid 20s. There were "older" jumpers there to be sure, but the majority were of similar age to me. I think the average age has increased over the years as expense has increased and also because with Tandem, it's much easier for anyone of any age to try it once. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hi Bill! Boy, Bill, Pam, and me all in the same thread, talk about "the good old days!" Wrap around pilot chutes, plastic ripcords, sinking sheep dogs, I loved it all! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hey sweet lady! Since I didn't make that call to you (couldn't find your number though I talked to you a couple of years ago), how did you know to come on here and post? Do you hear from any of the guys/girls from those days anymore? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

1973 through 1980.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Dead Ants was played often at a bar up the road from Z-Hills in the early 70's (I think it was called the Valley Inn). The two most common games I saw in those times were Dead Ants and Cardinal Puff. Cardinal Puff was usually played on the dropzone after jumping was over for the day (a good thing too)... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I feel your pain. I was on two world record skydives in 1975, both without video (film then) or stills though there were certainly many witnesses on the ground for both jumps. Deland: 16th in worlds first completed 16 man diamond (the hard way, all 16 jumpers facing the same direction since no one knew any better). Z-Hills: 19th on worlds first 20 man papillon. Would I like it if they had been filmed? Sure. Are they still world records? Absolutely! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Over 11,000 views and no more hits on where these people are, this is going to be tougher that I thought. Not too many people left in the sport from the mid 70's.... I highly appreciate the leads given so far, I may try and drop by Deland this weekend to see if I luck out and run into Carl, Bobby, Silly, or Beanpole... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Looking back from where you're talking about, I wish I thought like you when I was active. Yes, send in for the awards and keep them. Save pictures, video, log books, whatever. Someday is closer than you think.... I have the SCR and SCS, both are low numbers based on how many there are now. At the time (73-74), I though they were high numbers (SCR in the 3000's, SCS in the 1500's). I just sent an email to Bill to get my numbers to put in my scrap book (which has precious few items from my jumping days). Just a little insight from someone who did nothing but jump (built gear to pay for it) for 8 years and am looking back 30 years now.... As you can see from my updated signature, Bill got back to me with my numbers. I have offered my services to help get the (typed) database into a real database and put online at the website. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Looking back from where you're talking about, I wish I thought like you when I was active. Yes, send in for the awards and keep them. Save pictures, video, log books, whatever. Someday is closer than you think.... I have the SCR and SCS, both are low numbers based on how many there are now. At the time (73-74), I though they were high numbers (SCR in the 3000's, SCS in the 1500's). I just sent an email to Bill to get my numbers to put in my scrap book (which has precious few items from my jumping days). Just a little insight from someone who did nothing but jump (built gear to pay for it) for 8 years and am looking back 30 years now.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hmmm, don't remember the helmet, but I do remember he drove a yellow 240Z (I think they were still Datson at the time). Yes, I was Bill's first employee and started in Miami at Pam Tayon's house. Bill rented one room, I rented another, and the garage (converted to a shop) was were the Wonderhog was launched. The s/n you have is way after I left. Buchman Eagle, I may have built that rig, who knows

Charlie Moore is Ed Moore's wife (Charlene Moore), so I don't think so... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

3. Good, like to see him again sometime. 5. Amazing, he was "old" when I was jumping with him. 6. Chrome Dome? Fast Harry always had very long (to the small of his back) hair when I knew him. 10. Beanpole, right. That's a relief, I knew the age was wrong on the other guy. 11. Why change? BTW, he wasn't all that clean cut in the mid 70's, the phone company must have come later... Barb Challat, don't know if I ever met her, but may have. Suzie Luger, wasn't she Silly's girlfriend for a long time? Pretty blond girl as I remember. Brian Jeffries? Doesn't ring a bell. Darrel Berger? Doesn't ring a bell. Matt whazizface? with Slots? Hmmm, sounds familier. Is Al Brown still in Florida smashing bags for Delta? I knew a Brown jumper, but I don't think it was Al. He was a scuba diver as well. What about you, you've been around long enough that I may have met you. I was the rigger at Z-Hills in 1973-early 74 before going to work for Bill Booth. Worked for him about a year building the first 100+ Wonderhogs, then went with Bill Buchman to IL for the summer to build his rigs. Returned and continued to jump at Z-Hills, Deland, and the Sod Farm (off 301 in Tampa). Gee, I hope I didn't know you real well ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Charlie Moore was still jumping in Texas as of 1999, and Carl Daugherty was on the 300-way in 2002. Unfortunately also in 2002, Mike Barber drowned after landing in the ocean while filming a scene for the Bruce Willis movie "Tears of the Sun." Blues, Dave Do you happen to have any contact information on either? Is Carl still jumping at Deland? I read the thread on the Mike Barber incident, but the age (39) seemed way to young to be the same guy. I think Mike "barberpole" Barber was younger than me, but maybe 2 to 5 years, I'm 51 now... Thanks for the reply! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Alive, dead, missing, out of the sport, still jumping? I jumped with these people in the mid '70s (mostly in FL, but also in IL) and would like to know if anyone knows "where they are now?" 1) Steve Fugleburg (FL - Z-Hills) 2) Barb Haag (IL - Aurora) 3) Bobby Gray (FL - Miami/Deland) 4) Helen Frasier (FL - Z-Hills) 5) Mike Cerasoli (FL - Miami/Deland) 6) Fast Harry (FL - Z-Hills) 7) Bill Sweeney (FL, Pilot?) 8) Ed Moore (FL - Z-Hills, moved to TX) 9) Charlie Moore (FL - Z-Hills, moved to TX) 10) Mike Barber (FL - Miami/Deland) 11) Carl Daugherty (FL - Deland) ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Ok, scary stories from the past, lets see. Somehow this didn't scare me nearly as much at the time as it does now.... Z-Hills, circa late 1973, 4 man RW jump from a 182. Jim Thrasher is flying, don't remember the other three jumpers, but I was on the jump. We're on jump run, I get out and hang from the strut with just my toes on the step. Two jumpers on the step, one poised in the door. We start the count, 3, 2,... right about there Jim yells "have a good jump!" Or.. that's what I thought I heard... 1, go! I let go and immediately go face down and look right into the eyes of two guys looking right back up at us from within a twin (something fairly small) about 30 feet below us. They were about 50 feet below the jump plane going in the opposite direction. Jim was yelling "Don't jump!" as loud as he could. Oh well, we missed them, but not by much. Somewhere on an aircraft forum, some old timer pilot is leaving a message about the time some skydivers almost dropped into his plane..... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I can verify that they jumped with at least Bob Federman, Jim Bohr, Lou Jecker, and Red Kosteba since I jumped with all of them (and Roger and Carl of course). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Well, since some "old timers" have responded here I guess I will too. I jumped the FIRST hand deploy rig ever made (since we invented it). It had a Belly band pouch for the pilot chute and a single elastic loop closure with a byte of the bridle. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Are you using www.relativeworkshop.com ? It works for me.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Yup, you know "Stash" the sheep dog. He could swim fine for about 3 minutes, then his fur would start dragging him down... She also had a cat named "Streamer." Not hard to figure out where the names came from, hey? I jumped out at the glider port with Pam too, do I know you? Were you around when the guy got hit in the knees with the prop while proping an aerobatics bi-plane? Pam did the first aid until the ambulance arrived and went with him to the hospital. She had just completed here EMT training... Is there still jumping there? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

If a rigger pointed out "a few things that looked very sloppy" on my rig and I agreed with them, I would pop the reserve right then and there and have it re-packed. Maybe the pack job you can't see is flawless, but based on the visible sloppyness, why take the risk? I remember a girl bringing me a rig at Z-Hills that was packed kinda sloppy. She had heard from some of the locals that I could pack a pop-top (SST piggy back) real smooth. Well, after she left the loft, I got the fish scale out and popped her reserve. The pull force was within limits, but when the pilot chute took off, there were four temporary pins complete with red flags (had been tucked under the pilot chute cap). It was the Thanksgiving (Turkey) meet and the rigger happened to be on site. The Master rigger (Jeff Searles) and I brought him into the loft and I swear he nearly fainted when he saw the rig. He knew the pins were missing and was having nightmares about where they might be. Jeff and the ASO and I talked the situation over and it was decided not to tell the jumper (I never could decide if that was a good idea or not, but they were running the show). The incident was reported to the FAA and I re-packed her reserve. She had made about 60 jumps with it since the previous packing date.... Sloppy is sloppy, have it re-done. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

*** The principal context of all 'safety meetings' during the 70's... "You wanna have a Safety Meeting?" "Sure...got any Twinkees!?" Hmmm, you obvously never when to a safty meeting at Z-Hills when Hooper was ASO ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I've jumped all those and more. While I was working for Bill Booth in Miami, a jumper ordered a Strato Star through Booth before they were available. When the canapy came in, the guy had no funds so I talked Bill into selling it to me. Since I had jumped Para Planes, Para Clouds, Sleds, and even got towed to a few hundred feet with a 360sq foot cargo square (it was sometimes convenient to be the rigger at Z-Hills), I was about as experienced as anyone around there. Bill and I figured out how to pack the thing together from the directions that came with it. I put around 600 jumps on it. Maybe 50 or so with the rings and ropes, then converted to a slider and later "short-lined" it 6 feet. Hey, it was high performance at the time :) I always felt that a properly packed and tuned, slider equiped, Strato-Star would open every time. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hmmm, your name sounds familier, but your home DZ of "Paltka" doesn't... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Well, the first photo does look like the old C-47 (note the rectangular cargo door) that Z-Hills owned. If it's that one, I have hundreds of jumps from it. We took both doors off once (and only once) and we put 8 jumpers across for exit. The pilot said it was too "wierd" to fly that way again, so we stuck with just the one door after that. Mr. Douglas: The Deland DC3 referred to as Mr. Douglas was such a great jump plane for the time. It had two stage super chargers and climed to altitude a LOT faster than the Z-Hills plane could. It also had the interior insulation still in so was pretty quiet, jump seats down both sides, and an 8 speaker 8-track tape system that usually had Dark Side of the Moon playing on it. I was on a load in Deland once with 60 jumpers on that plane! I believe that plane was lost in Alaska along with the pilot and co-pilot taking off with a load of frozen fish. I heard it lost an engine on take off, but made an ok landing into a river bed only to have the fish come up through the cockpit taking out the pilots. I believe a replacement plane was purchased and also christened Mr. Douglas for the Deland operation. Can anyone verify any of that? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519